# Obama and Castro



## Jmurman (Apr 22, 2007)

There's talk about Obama making nicey nice with Fidel and those boys.

I could get on board for the smokes.


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## heavyd (Jun 16, 2008)

I hear ya! I didn't vote for Obama but I would welcome a lifting of the embargo. I could have one humi for Cubans and one for NC's 


P.S. love the blog, Jmurman


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## pistol (Mar 23, 2006)

I disagree. I'd be onboard for the poor people of Cuba, because it'd hopefully mean some type of a regime change. I would hope that an embargo lift would come with human rights stipulations for the Cuban people. However, as for smokes, right now, they are easy to get and they are tax free. You know that if anything, Obama is going to tax the living fuk out of them if they simply lift the embargo.


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## heavyd (Jun 16, 2008)

You may be right. I just like the idea of getting Cuban stogies legally. I think this thread is doomed :ss


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## Habanolover (Feb 22, 2006)

As long as it stays on topic and doesn't drift into bashing of political parties or bashing of our politicians. We did afterall vote them into office using the system available to us. :tu

Also the legal purchase of Cuban cigars pales in comparison to the plight of the Cuban people.


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## Footbag (May 14, 2008)

madurolover said:


> As long as it stays on topic and doesn't drift into bashing of political parties or bashing of our politicians. We did afterall vote them into office using the system available to us. :tu
> 
> Also the legal purchase of Cuban cigars pales in comparison to the plight of the Cuban people.


Quick correction... As long as this topic doesn't drift into bashing of political parties or politicians excluding the Castro's. Those bastards deserve whatever they get!


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## ucla695 (Jun 27, 2006)

We'll see what happens. I expect him to move slowly on the while embargo thing, but I wouldn't be surprised if he lifted a lot the travel restrictions on people who have family there.


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## krisko (Jul 28, 2007)

I don't see why anybody thinks the demise of the embargo is imminent. It's a back burner thing for sure...2/3 years out at a minimum. If Obama needs FL to win reelection then it'll be pushed back until next term. If Raul Castro enacts sweeping changes in Cuba then I suppose it gets moved to the front burner.


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## Habanolover (Feb 22, 2006)

Footbag said:


> Quick correction... As long as this topic doesn't drift into bashing of political parties or politicians excluding the Castro's. Those bastards deserve whatever they get!


I figured the part about *our* politicians would make that distinction.


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## Footbag (May 14, 2008)

madurolover said:


> I figured the part about *our* politicians would make that distinction.


My bad.:tu


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## Habanolover (Feb 22, 2006)

Footbag said:


> My bad.:tu


No problem brother. :tu


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## NCRadioMan (Feb 28, 2005)

heavyd said:


> You may be right. I just like the idea of getting Cuban stogies legally. I think this thread is doomed :ss


One part I don't look forward to about legalization that is that JR will distribute 80% of the habanos that will be sold in the US. I am not a fan of Lew and JR's.


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

Jmurman said:


> There's talk about Obama making nicey nice with Fidel and those boys.


He may need a séance for that.
I think Fidel is room temperature.


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## gwnga (Jan 2, 2007)

krisko said:


> I don't see why anybody thinks the demise of the embargo is imminent. It's a back burner thing for sure...2/3 years out at a minimum. If Obama needs FL to win reelection then it'll be pushed back until next term. If Raul Castro enacts sweeping changes in Cuba then I suppose it gets moved to the front burner.


:tpd: Well said. The decision to lift the embargo will come down to whatever is most politically expedient.


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## Fenwick (May 8, 2007)

The Trading With the Enemy Act isn't going away anytime soon. Whether or not "The Act" goes away has very little to do with who the U.S. President is. Cuba's leadership has to change and that won't happen for a very long time.

Jmurman, do you have a link to a news story or a webpage related to your first post?


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## Jmurman (Apr 22, 2007)

Fenwick said:


> The Trading With the Enemy Act isn't going away anytime soon. Whether or not "The Act" goes away has very little to do with who the U.S. President is. Cuba's leadership has to change and that won't happen for a very long time.
> 
> Jmurman, do you have a link to a news story or a webpage related to your first post?


I don't, I just read a couple of things on different sites over the past week or so.

If Obama is as 'left' as most of the 'right' say that he is, then I would imagine this issue should be on the table over the next 4 yrs.

Personally I don't see why we wouldn't want to establish some sort of relations with Cuba, cigars or not.


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## Footbag (May 14, 2008)

I don't think the lifting of the embargo is imminent, but the failing health of Fidel combined with Obama's diplomatic insinuations gives cigar smokers a reason to be a bit optimistic. 
As for the immediate future, the lifting of the embargo is our best bargaining chip, so it's not going to hit the table in the first hand. That said, unless Obama finds a way to make government super efficient, he will not have a chance to even re-visit the policy considering what he has on his plate.


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## krisko (Jul 28, 2007)

Fenwick said:


> The Trading With the Enemy Act isn't going away anytime soon. Whether or not "The Act" goes away has very little to do with who the U.S. President is. Cuba's leadership has to change and that won't happen for a very long time.


True, but I'm pretty sure the president can decide who's the 'enemy' or not with a simple executive order (congress not involved).



Footbag said:


> As for the immediate future, the lifting of the embargo is our best bargaining chip, so it's not going to hit the table in the first hand.


I don't understand why we even need a 'bargaining chip'. What are we bargaining for? Obama has one responsibility regarding the embargo and relations with Cuba. Are they in the best interests of the United States. If you believe in free trade and that establishing relations with Cuba would be in our interests then you lift the embargo.


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## Fenwick (May 8, 2007)

krisko said:


> True, but I'm pretty sure the president can decide who's the 'enemy' or not with a simple executive order (congress not involved).


Not true. An executive order cannot nullify the Trading With the enemy Act anymore than an executive order can make murder legal. This is the "checks and balances" part of the US Constitution.


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## krisko (Jul 28, 2007)

Is Cuba considered an enemy of the US? If so, it must be a simple thing to change that.


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## Andyman (Jun 8, 2004)

NCRadioMan said:


> One part I don't look forward to about legalization that is that JR will distribute 80% of the habanos that will be sold in the US. I am not a fan of Lew and JR's.


Hows does that work?


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## pistol (Mar 23, 2006)

krisko said:


> Is Cuba considered an enemy of the US? If so, it must be a simple thing to change that.


Cuba is not an enemy of the US, but Castro's regime is. Things will not change with respect to US-Cuba relations until their government changes, plain and simple. I'm not saying whether it's right or wrong, but that's the way it is.


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## NCRadioMan (Feb 28, 2005)

Andyman said:


> Hows does that work?


Altadis owns majority shares in JR's and 50% of Habanos SA. :hn

A guy that used to manage the humidor at JR's, at the time the deal was done, told me about it.


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## Habanolover (Feb 22, 2006)

I have heard that also.


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## Professor Mike (Jun 25, 2008)

I firmly beleive that if the embargo is lifted and cigars are allowed that the demand will be so great that the quailty will suffer greatly not to mention that the TAX imposed on them will be prohibitive.:2

Mike


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## JCK (Nov 9, 2006)

wonder what JR Alternatives to Cubans will be.


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## NCRadioMan (Feb 28, 2005)

khubli said:


> wonder what JR Alternatives to Cubans will be.


Crap, like they are now.


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## Habanolover (Feb 22, 2006)

NCRadioMan said:


> Crap, like they are now.


:tpd: :r:r


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## cbsmokin (Oct 10, 2007)

Professor Mike said:


> I firmly beleive that if the embargo is lifted and cigars are allowed that the demand will be so great that the quailty will suffer greatly not to mention that the TAX imposed on them will be prohibitive.:2
> 
> Mike


:tpd:


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## krisko (Jul 28, 2007)

pistol said:


> Cuba is not an enemy of the US, but Castro's regime is. Things will not change with respect to US-Cuba relations until their government changes, plain and simple. I'm not saying whether it's right or wrong, but that's the way it is.


Wait a minute...so Cuba is not an enemy but Castro is? How exactly does that work?


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## epyon26 (Dec 16, 2007)

NCRadioMan said:


> One part I don't look forward to about legalization that is that JR will distribute 80% of the habanos that will be sold in the US. I am not a fan of Lew and JR's.


 :tpd: JR sucks dodo butter


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